The Friday derailment roundup

Since early February, there have been at least six train derailments in North America carrying crude from North Dakota’s Bakken Shale. These accidents have sparked increased calls from citizens, the rail industry and lawmakers for the federal government to increase safety regulations.

To keep up with these incidents and new safety regulations, PublicSource provides a roundup of stories every Friday.

Railroads try to use new DOT crude-by-rail rules to keep routes from public

A federal rule that was supposed to increase transparency of crude oil rail shipments is now being used by Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads in a Maryland case to justify arguments to keep that information hidden from the public, according to McClatchy Newspapers.

If a decades-old ban on exporting crude oil from the U.S. gets lifted, it could mean more crude oil trains on the tracks, according to The Stranger.

Canadian authorities lay down new criminal charges in Lac-Megantic derailment

A rail company president, its CEO, the train's engineer and several managers could face fines or jail terms for alleged violations of the Canadian Rail Safety Act and the Fisheries Act related to the 2013 Quebec disaster, which killed 47 people, according to The Toronto Star.

U.S. court throws out railroad industry challenge to California oil train law

The Association of American Railroads and two railroad companies filed a complaint last year seeking to block the law, which requires spill response plans and other safety measures for trains hauling crude oil, according to Reuters.

Reach Natasha Khan at 412-315-0261 or nkhan@publicsource.org. Follow her on Twitter @khantasha.

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